Sunday Night Free NFL Pick!

It's been a little slow pick wise around here, which should turnaround as we really get into the NBA and NCAA Basketball. Don't worry, though, we aren't done with the NFL. Despite no picks earlier today, we do have a play on the Sunday nighter.

Vikings -3 1/2 over the Cardinals

Brett Favre is playing like he should have been with the Packers had he not been busy plotting out a plan to burn every bridge in Wisconsin. We'll ride the Vikings for the rest of Favre's revenge tour.

Good luck!

3-1 Week For Free NFL Picks As Well!

In addition to our Free NCAA Football Picks going 3-1 this weekend, our Free NFL Picks did the same.

The Bears covered a -3 spread with 25-19 win over Seahawks; the Bills and Saints went under 51 1/2 points in a 27-7 Saints victory; and the Colts stomped the Cardinals and a ridiculous +2 1/2 spread in a 31-10 Sunday night win.

We'll get to our weekly breakdown and record update momentarily.

Free NFL Picks Look For Winning Week

After two weeks, our Free NFL Picks are a disappointing 5-6, but we expect better results moving forward when more current stats become available (rather than using a combination of last year's stats).

In Week One, we had a crazy nine-pick card, only to follow that with just two picks in Week Two. In Week Three, we have more of a standard Stock Lemon card in terms of quantity and hopefully quality.

Titans +3 over the Jets

Bears -3 over the Seahawks

Colts +2 1/2 over the Cardinals

Bills/Saints UNDER 51 1/2

Three road teams and an under this week. Not in love with the fact that all of our picks are on the road, but we'll play what the system gives us, especially early on.

Good luck!

2009 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 30-32

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the tenth and final installment of our 2009 NFL Mock Draft. You can check out the previous nine sections of this 10-part series by clicking the links on the upper right hand side of the page. 

Some trades have been made and some drug tests have been failed, but overall, we think we're at least in the ballpark on a good majority of these picks. 

Now, to finish this thing out... 

30. Titans: Robert Ayers, LB, Tennessee

Ayers has been shooting up draft boards and is the player in our mock draft that we see as most likely to go way before we have him selected. Still, the Titans executives who surely read Stock Lemon are giddy about Ayers being available late in the first round. Ayers could either be a 3-4 linebacker or a 4-3 end and will make an impact at either position. He's got what every NFL scout loves in the draft--upside. Some think he has the potential to be the best defensive player in the draft, and the Titans don't mind stealing the in-state product at No. 30. 

31. Cardinals: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

The Cardinals are looking for some backfield help, and while the top two running backs are long gone, Donald Brown could make a case for being in the top group of RBs. Brown is a hard worker, and while he might not have the exact measurements NFL teams rave about, he uses his small size to his advantage as a shifty and elusive back. If the Cards don't take him here, he won't last long in the second round. 

32. Steelers: Max Unger, C, Oregon

This is one of the best drafts in a long time in terms of interior lineman, particularly at the center position. Unger heads up a talented group big bodies that will be selected in the second and third round. Unger can simply do it all, including play left tackle as he sometimes did at Oregon. The Steelers have been successful by taking advantage of late first round picks, and this selection will be no exception. 

And with that, we conclude our 2009 NFL Mock Draft. Make sure to check back and see how we did once the real NFL Draft is in the books!

Stock Lemon Deleted Scenes

We'd just like to alert everyone of an enormous gaffe we made earlier, in connection with our Super Bowl prop betting. 

Many of you saw our Last Minute Props post prior to kickoff, when we were convinced that the Cardinals would receive the kick or the Steelers would elect to receive. We also advised that you take the Cardinals to get the first first down, since they were getting the ball first. Duh. 

Shortly thereafter, when we edited the post with an update on the results (both loooooooozzzzers), we must have accidently deleted it rather than re-published it. Obviously, considering that both props lost, we're looking pretty reliable right about now. Something similar also happened earlier in the playoffs, when two of our picks either weren't posted or didn't show up at all (they went 1-1), and that post was not recovered.

Those of you that have followed the site know that everything we post remains on the site, though we usually hate mentioning when we lose and love gloating when we win. Still, every post we've made can be found in the archives, win or lose. 

Thanks to the magic of saved drafts, we've re-published that entry and added another update so that future generations who come across that post are aware of this great tragedy. Thanks again to Bet The Spread for bringing this to justice. 

Really, though, this was all part of our master plan, because now we get to continue talking about Super Bowl prop bets, so everybody wins. Well, unless you saw that post before it was deleted. Then you lost two prop bets. But everyone else wins!

Oh, And Our Free Super Bowl Pick Covered

With all the attention we've been paying to prop bets, we almost forgot to mention that our Free NFL Pick, or Free Super Bowl Pick, covered. 

The Cardinals almost won it, but they did enough to keep those who took them at +7 happy in their 27-23 loss to the Steelers in Super Bowl 43. Kurt Warner and company hung in there long enough to end our Free NFL Pick season on a winning note.

Here are our Final record for the 2008-09 NFL season. 

Regular Season: 26-18-2... 59%

Playoffs: 5-4... 56%

Overall: 31-22-2... 58%

Remember to come back in August when we dust off the Free NFL Picks for another winning season. 

Super Bowl XLIII Player Prop Bet Results

We pointed you in the direction of six player props in Super Bowl 43, three for the Cardinals and three for the Steelers. We went 2-0 on the team props, but the player props went about as smoothly as the Cardinals rushing game.

Speaking of which, that's where we'll start. We thought the Edgerrin James would rush for over 49 1/2, given that he's been getting over 20 carries a game for the Cardinals in the playoffs. He had just nine carries and 33 yards. 

We thought that Steve Breaston would be held to under 39 1/2 receiving yards. He finished with six grabs and 71 yards. 

Finally, we thought that at the very least, Larry Fitzgerald would have more catches than Anquan Boldin. Unfortunately, this prop applied to more than just the fourth quarter, and Boldin caught eight balls to Fitzgerald's seven, though Fitz had 43 more yards. 

Final talley on Cardinals props: 0-3. 

Fortunately, the Steelers player props went a little better. 

An injured Hines Ward failed to break 69 1/2 receiving yards, finishing with just 43 on two catches and giving us our lone Steeler player prop bet loss. 

In his absence, somebody had to step up, but we didn't think it would be Nate Washington, so we took under 34 1/2 yards. He finished with just 11 yards on one grab late in the game. 

Mewelde Moore didn't step up either, which was fine by us, as we had him combining for less thatn 27 1/2 receiving and rushing yards. His two touches gave him just ten yards. 

Final talley on Steelers player props: 2-1. 

Combined player props: 2-4.

Combined prop bets: 4-4.

So, there you have it. Those are the results of our prop Bets for the 2009 Super Bowl 43. We already can't wait for Super Bowl 44. 

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet Results

We rolled out plenty of prop bets for Super Bowl XLIII, offering our take on most, while merely giving you the information you needed to make your own informed wager on others.

Since there was no review on Kurt Warner's tuck-rule style fumble, the game is officially over. The result: Steelers 27, Cardinals 23.

If you've been following us the last couple weeks, though, that's not the result you're most intrested. You're more interested in the results of all these proposition bets we made, and we won't deny you those. Here's a recap of all of our Super Bowl 43 prop bet posts.

Our first post introduced you to the many prop bets available, and while we listed many of the fun props that make Super Bowl prop betting what it is, the post really didn't tell you anything new. So, we didn't lose any bets from that post. Hooray.

Our next post gave some background info on the ever important coin toss, which the NFC won for a near impossible twelth straight year. The Steelers called heads and the result was tails, leading the Cards to win the toss and defer. Again, though, no bets made.

Finally, we actually gave our input on a prop bet, strongly suggesting the over for Jennifer Hudson's National Anthem, originally set at 1 minute 54 seconds. When the prop was immediately bumped up to 2 minutes 1 second following our Youtube research, we weren't so sure. Turns out, Hudson ended up at about 2 minutes 13 seconds, even if she lip-synced. We'll chalk this up as our first prop bet victory. (1-0)

Next up: the Gatorade Shower. Mike Tomlin got a bucket full of lemon-lime (or yellow) Gatorade (or G). If you recall, we advised either clear/water or, at 3/1 odds, yellow Gatorade. Since yellow was the color liquid dumped on the winning coach of the NFC and AFC Championships, it seemed like a good bet. We'll give ourselves credit for this one. (2-0)

We then examined the likely color of Bill Bidwell's bow tie, finding red to be the most likely option, though to our knowledge, he was either not shown or not wearing a bow tie. So call it a... tie.

Lastly, we bet that the game's MVP would thank God following the game. MVP Santonio Holmes really didn't thank anyone until he thanked the interviewer, Dan Patrick, before holding up the trophy and yelling, "This is for you, Pittsburgh." More like pushburgh, since there's no action on this prop.

So, really, we went just 2-0 on some of these fun and crazy Super Bowl prop bets. We'll review the player props momentarily.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets: Last Minute Bets

It's very likely that the Cardinals will choose to receive, while the Steelers will choose to defer. Take the Cardinals to receive the opening kick.

Who will receive the opening kick?
Cardinals -205

Also, they are a good bet to at least get a first down if they get the ball first.
Who will get the first first down of the game?
Cardinals -145

Lay the juice if you have to, these look like solid plays!

UPDATE: Wow. Hopefully, you weren't anywhere near a computer before kickoff, as our information was clearly wrong.

At least the Anthem went over by about three minutes.

We'll be back after the Super Bowl to recap our prop bets, so we'll see you then!

UPDATE 2/4: It's come to our attention that we accidently deleted this post when we tried to edit it with the update following the coin toss. Of course, that makes us long great, and not sleezy at all, considering both of these bets lost.

But here it is in all its glory! When we were doing our recap post we completely forgot about this one since it didn't show up when we were putting the post together, so let it be known that our excellent 4-4 prop record was really 4-6.

Thanks to the folks over at Bet the Spread for pointing this out to us, while the rest of you just sat there like we had a piece of food stuck in our teeth and you didn't want to be the one to tell us. 

Free Super Bowl Pick

We hope you've enjoyed our 2009 Super Bowl 43 Prop Bet Spectacular, as it has been fun for us. All of those prop bets can be found on the upper right hand side of this very page, so check them out if you missed them. 

Now, though, it's time to pick the actual game. So, without further ado, here is our Free Super Bowl Pick. 

Cardinals +7 over the Steelers

Maybe the Cards won't win it, but they'll certainly be in it. The Super Bowl in recent years has become a very hard fought game, and it's now rare to find a complete mismatch, even if it looks like it should be on paper.

Just ask people who thought the Patriots would kill the Giants last year. 

People like us. 

Everybody knows about the Cardinals explosive offense, but we think the defense will make the difference for Arizona. 

Karlos Dansby. Adrian Wilson. Bertrand Berry. This is a very underrated group that has come into its own a bit in the playoffs. Ben Roethlisberger, even without the injuries he carries into the game, will have a hard time with this unit. 

We're not ready to pick the Cardinals straight up, but we certainly like taking them with seven points in their favor. 

So, despite our website's color layout suggesting that we might like the Steelers, we think we're playing our Cards right by backing Arizona. 

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets: Steelers Players

Leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. You can check out previous prop bet analysis on the upper right sidebar.

Earlier, we gave you three Cardinals players props that we see good value in. Now, as you might have guessed, it's the Steelers turn.

Hines Ward OVER 69 1/2 receiving yards (EVEN)

Talk all you want the injury to Hines Ward, but if he plays (which he will), he'll produce. Taking the under is the trendy play, due to the injury, but if Ward is on the field, he's Ben Roethlisberger's go-to guy.

Hines has eclipsed the 69 1/2 yard mark in four of his last five games, missing the mark only in the Ravens game when he suffered his knee injury and had to leave with just 55 yards. Santonio Holmes might put up some nice numbers, but Ward will rise to the occassion as well. With this prop at even odds, you should do the same.

Nate Washington UNDER 34 1/2 receiving yards (EVEN)

With Hines playing, Nate Washington won't be getting that increase in looks that some might have expected him to get. He hasn't crossed the 34 1/2 yard mark in any of his last three games, posting totals of just 13, 30, and 21.

Like the Ward bet, this prop is for even money. While there is a good chance that both hit, there's a great chance that you'll at least get one, which means you won't lose any juice if you go 1-1. Still, expect to go 2-0 on these two.

Mewelde Moore UNDER 27 1/2 rushing and receiving yards combined (-110)

Mewelde Moore did an admirable job filling in for Willie Parker earlier this season, but it's Willie's show now. Mewelde got just two touches in the AFC Championship, and his role has been largely reduced in the playoffs. His totals of 25 and then 15 yards in the two playoff games for the Steelers show that they are slowly going away from Mewelde "not getting the ball any" Moore.

There's more Super Bowl 43 prop bet coverage to come here at Stock Lemon, so go ahead and bookmark us and get yourself back here before Super Sunday.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets: Cardinals Players

Leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. You can check out previous prop bet analysis on the upper right sidebar.

We've already looked at random prop bets occuring before and after the game, so let's take a look at some of the more favorable bets during the actual game.

We'll start with the Cardinals player props.

Edgerrin James OVER 49 1/2 rushing yards (+135)

Edge averaged just 39 1/2 yards per game in the regular season, so why take this prop? Since James became the feature back again for the Cardinals in Week 17, he's rushed for 100, 73, 57, and 73 yards on 14, 16, 20, and 16 carries. Clearly, he's getting the carries, and is average over 75 yards per game in the process. He needs just 2/3 of that to win this over.

The last three games have all been playoff games, where the Cardinals are relying on the veteran rather than leaving the running duties to the young Tim Hightower as they did for much of the regular season. At +135, the over makes a lot of sense, even against a tough Steelers defense.

Steve Breaston UNDER 39 1/2 receiving yards (+105)

It's easy to say that because Kurt Warner and the Cards like to air it out and spread it out, Breaston will have a big day. Look it this prop more closely, though, and you'll see real value in the under for Breaston.

The second year wideout had a breakout 1,000 yard season, but he hasn't topped 39 1/2 yards in any of the three playoff games, and has broken the barrier just once in his last five games. His playoff performances, in terms of yards, have gotten progressively worse, going from 39 yards to 28 to 10. He's caught just seven balls for 77 yards in the post-season, averaging under 26 yards per game. Again, that's just 2/3 of what he needs in the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals are going with their more experienced wide receivers down the stretch, so we're glad to take this under at +105.

Who will have more catches: Larry Fitzgerald -1/2 (-140) OVER Anquan Boldin

We think Boldin will have himself a nice game, enough to silence his new critics, anyway. But a nice game won't be quite enough to top Larry Fitzgerald, who might be the best receiver in the league, much less the Super Bowl.

In Boldin's two playoff games, he's caught just six balls. Fitzgerald had six receptions in just one game, which happened to be his lowest total in the playoffs, followed by eight and nine catch performances.

Chip on Boldin's shoulder or not, we'll take Fitzgerald's almost 8 playoff catches per game to Boldin's 3, even if Boldin wasn't completely healthy.

Stay tuned this weekend as we take a look at Steelers player props, other in-game team props for both squads, and wrap up our coverage of Super Bowl 43 proposition betting before the Big Game on Sunday.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The Thankfulness

Leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. You can check out previous prop bet analysis on the upper right sidebar.



Before we begin, we'd like to thank all of our readers, for coming here to check out some analysis on Super Bowl 43 Proposition Bets.



With that out of the way, let's get to the next post-game prop bet: The Thankfulness.



The exact wording of this particular prop is: Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?



And your choices are:



God... 4/5

Family... 4/1

Teammates... 2/1

Coach... 9/1

Does Not Thank Anyone... 5/1



First off, we think it's a little weird that fans aren't included as an option, and there isn't even the choice of "other." But, with the options that are given, we're praying that we know who will be thanked first--the man upstairs.



Our reason for this is simple. While many players thank God after games, the most likely MVP candidates are always the quarterbacks.



In this case, Cardinals Kurt Warner just happens to be a Jesus freak and always thanks God, or Jesus (which can be used interchangeably for this prop), following games, including in the post-game interview following the NFC Championship victory.







Warner's extreme religious beliefs might have been enough to attract us to God as the winner of this prop bet, but as an added bonus, it appears that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is also giving thanks to the man above, as seen at the AFC Championship post-game festivities.







We think that saying "the Lord is good" counts as giving thanks to God, which means that in both Championship games, the quarterbacks thanked God.

At 4/5 odds, we like our chances.

Hopefully, we'll thank God for giving us this prop bet.



For more NFL odds check out BetFirms.com.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The Bow Tie

Leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. You can check out previous prop bet analysis on the upper right sidebar.

Continuining with our theme of looking at prop bets that have nothing to do with the actual game (don't worry we'll get to the Cardinals and Steelers in-game props later this week), we thought we'd take a look at a prop that seems like pretty easy money to us--if you're willing to lay some chalk.

The prop bet is: What color will Bill Bidwell's bow tie be?

Bill Bidwell, the Arizona Cardinals owner, must be seen on camera wearing a bow tie during the game for the wager to count. Your choices are:

Red -600

Any other color +400

Quite simply, we think books will lure a few idiots who figure that there are a gazillion different colors other than red out there, so any other color at +400 is a bargain. That's just not the case.

In all of Bill Bidwell's public appearances--not just Cardinals games--he's famous for his red bow tie. And, as the picture above makes clear, he wore a red bow tie during the NFC Championship game, so why mess with success?

We're not going to go all in-depth on this one, because we think it's fairly certain that Bidwell will be wearing a red bow tie on Super Sunday. If you're willing to lay -600 on this prop, the chances are that it will be money well spent.

Unless, of course, this prop ends in a tie.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The Gatorade Shower

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) Gatorade Shower Prop Bet in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. You can check out previous prop bet analysis on the upper right sidebar.

We've talked about the coin toss and the National Anthem, two prop bets that take place before all the action. Now it's time to talk about something that takes place after all, or at least most, of the action--the Gatorade shower!

Bodog has plenty of choices for you in the prop bet: What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?

There's lime green, yellow, orange, red, blue, clear/water, and whatever else they add or delete from this list after reading our analysis.

We might not be able to tell you exactly which color Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach, but we can certainly narrow it down.

Go ahead and cross off orange, red, blue, and lime green from that list right away. The only way that any of those colors will make an appearance is if Bodog claims that the yellow Gatorade is really lime green, just to screw with everyone.

That leaves us with yellow (3/1 odds) and clear/water (4/5). Your safe bet here is to go with clear/water, though you'll lose some juice (get it?). If you're feeling a little risky, though, yellow is as safe a risk you can make at 3/1 odds this Super Bowl. Here's why:

In both the NFC and AFC Championship Games, yellow Gatorade was dumped onto the winning coaches.

Ken Whisenhunt got his improbable golden shower after the Cardinals clinched their first ever Super Bowl appearance...

As did Mike Tomlin after bringing the Steelers back to The Big Game for the team's second appearance in four years.

Now, despite the fact that yellow was the preferred color in both Championship games, the reason clear/water is the favorite is because of its history in recent Super Bowls.

Let's start with those Steelers back in Super Bowl XL in 2006, when Bill Cowher took a bath in the clear liquid.

In 2007, in a rainy Super Bowl XLI, Colts coach Tony Dungy found himself under a rain cloud shaped like a Gatorade bucket.

Then of course, last year in Super Bowl XLII, Giants coach Tom Coughlin received the perfect reward for his team's upset win.

So, in at least the last three Super Bowls, including one in which the Steelers made it rain on their coach, clear/water was the color beverage doused onto the winning signal caller.

In our view, you have two choices. You can either go with the Championship Game momentum of the yellow Gatorade and hope to triple your cash, or you can stick with the recent Super Bowl trend of clear/water.

Either way, this is a good prop bet for those looking to whet their appetite for wet coaches.

We Have Readers in Antigua

We here at Stock Lemon must apologize, for we may have inadvertently helped the bookies figure out that they were way off on the National Anthem Super Bowl Prop Bet.

Originally, the books had the over/under set at 1 minute 54 seconds. While the odds slowly shifted and eventually forced over bettors to lay some heavy chalk, they could still do so at 1 minute 54 seconds.

Then we posted about Jennifer Hudson's previous performances of the National Anthem, all of which went well over 1 minute 54 seconds, and mere hours later the line on this prop has shot up to 2 minutes 1 second!

Line movement on a National Anthem prop is nothing new. These things happen as books get more action on one side than they get on the other (the over in this case). But seven seconds?

We think we might have accidently done the homework for Bodog, comfortably reading from their headquarters in Antigua.

Hopefully you were able to get on this prop, or can still find it at another book, at 1 minute 54 seconds, in which case the over is still a steal.

If not, it's probably one we would stay away from. Don't worry though, there are plenty of other props to bet on, and some of them even include the Steelers and Cardinals!

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The National Anthem

To see the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) National Anthem Prop Bet, featuring Christina Aguilera in the game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it.



Before the Steelers and Cardinals can execute their keys to the game, America (and several countries outside the United States) will be paying close attention to some keys prior to kickoff--the keys song by Jennifer Hudson during the National Anthem.



The former American Idol contestant, whether she knows it or not, will be responsible for what might be the first of many prop bets for millions around the world.



Bodog currently has the following odds:



Super Bowl XLIII - How long will it take Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem?

Clock starts as soon as Hudson sings first Note and Stops when she sings her last note. Singles Only. Max $50. (This Prop is Closed for Betting)

Over 1 Minute and 54 Seconds -250

Under 1 Minute and 54 Seconds +195



Thanks to modern technology, aka Youtube, we're able to disect this proposition wager and determine the best possible bet. And we've determined that the Over is, even at -250 odds, an absolute steal. The evidence is below.



Let's first take a look at the Anthem that Hudson delivered at the Democratic National Convention on August 28, 2008.









Her first note starts at about :02 into the video and ends at the 2:03 mark. Simple math will tell you that that equates to a 2 minute and 1 second long anthem, seven seconds longer than the prop bet calls for.



What's interesting about this clip is that you'll notice that she could have been done at about the 1:50 mark when she finished the last word of the song, only to repeat it again immediately after, which would put the anthem at just 1 minute and 48 seconds.



Fear not, over bettors, because she would have held out that last note and dragged out the word "brave" if not for her putting her own creative spin on the Anthem. And, yes, we have more evidence to support our claim.



Here's another Anthem which, despite its phone camera quality, is very telling. This one is from Jackie Robinson Day back on April 15, 2007, prior to a Dodgers-Padres game.









This one, high quality as it is, cuts off the first two words of her performance (Oh Say), beginning with the word "can." It's hard to tell exactly when it stops, but we're going to guess its around the 1:58 mark. Remember, the bet ends on the very last note, and even without two words, she's still four seconds longer than the over/under.



Since the Dodger game is obviously a sports venue, we feel pretty confident that we'll get a similar Anthem out of her at the Super Bowl.



Finally, although Hudson, like many others, tends to drag out more notes or add a creative element during live performance--which the Super Bowl will be, of course--we thought we would go ahead and include her studio release of the famliar tune, in case anyone is paranoid that the audience at either previous performance caused her to go longer than she normally would.









The studio version begins at about the :18 mark and finishes at 2:16 for a grand total of 1 minute and 58 seconds. So, let's recap.



DNC August 28, 2008: 2 minute 1 second; 7 seconds longer than over/under

Dodgers April 15, 2007: 1 minute 58 seconds (w/o two words); 4+ seconds longer than o/u

Recorded version: 1 minute 58 seconds; 4 seconds longer than o/u

Needless to say, we're pretty confident that when Hudson ends with "And the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave," she'll be well over the 1 minute and 54 second mark.

Be brave and feel free to make that bet.



Get all of the latest NFL odds by visiting BetFirms.com.

Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bet: The Coin Toss

To see our coin toss prop bet analysis for the 2011 Super Bowl XLIV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, click here.

Over the next week and half leading up to the Super Bowl, we'll be taking a look at various proposition bets for the 2009 Super Bowl, Super Bowl 43, Super Bowl XLIII, The Big Game, or whatever you want to call it. We'll start the same way the Cardinals and Steelers will start--with a coin toss.

The coin toss is always a popular prop bet because, well, we're not so sure why. It's just a guy flipping a quarter into the air. Nevertheless, it's one of the most wagered Super Bowl prop bet despite the fact that the wager is decided before kickoff.

For casual fans or those just watching the game for the Super Bowl commercials, it's nice to bet on the coin toss since it requires no knowledge whatsoever of the actual game being played and is completely random.

Or is it?

Yes, of course it is. But here are some fun facts to help you through betting on the coin flip:

• To prove how random a coin toss really is, you only need one stat: 21. In the 42 previous Super Bowls, the coin has landed 21 times on heads and 21 times on tails. Throw out any notion that one side of the coin might weigh more or that coin flips aren't completely random or that tails never fails. Coin tosses are absolutely a 50-50 chance, or in this case, a 21-21 chance.



• The team to win the coin toss has a losing record in the Super Bowl of 20-22, but the "winners" have had even less success recently. In the last 12 tosses, the winner of the toss was the loser of the game in nine of those contests. The Giants won the toss and the game last year, breaking a four game losing streak for teams that won the toss.



• The NFC has won the last 11 tossess and is 28-14 all-time in calling the correct side of the coin.



• The team to win the toss has always chosen to receive, and if for some reason your sportsbook offers a prop related to this, it seems like a good bet that the team to win the coss will continue this trend. As a few commenters have pointed out, we completely overlooked the new rule which allows teams to defer on the opening toss, so it will be interesting to see if the Super Bowl gets its first defer call in history.

So, the bottom line is, when betting on Super Bowl props, the coin flip is always a toss-up.

Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis of some fun and some crazy Super Bowl 43 prop bets.



Beat the NFL odds on this year's Super Bowl when you sign up for football picks at BetFirms.

Early Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets

If you're looking for some early Super Bowl XLIII (that's 43) prop bets, you've come to the right place.

We're making Stock Lemon your home for Super Bowl proposition betting in 2009 and thought we should go ahead and post some standard prop bets that will be offered for the matcup between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. (Of course, as we grow closer and closer to kickoff each day, we'll have some of the wackier bets listed as well.)

Here's a general list of what to expect:

First, there are your regular lines. The Steelers are opening at around -6 1/2 or -7 favorites over the Cardinals, but those lines will be different on a quarter-by-quarter basis and updated as the game goes on. The Over/Under is set at around 47. Here are some others you can expect:

• Game line
• Moneyline
• First half line
• First quarter line
• Second quarter line
• Third quarter line
• Fourth quarter line (not including over time)
• Over/Under

Then you get a little more specific:

• Total points scored by the home team (Cardinals)
• Total points scored by the visiting team (Steelers)
• First team to score
• Last team to score
• Will the last team to score win the game?
• Will there be a score in the last two minutes of the first half?
• Will either team score three unanswered times?
• Will there be a score in the first six and a half minutes of the game?
• Which team will have the longest touchdown?
• Will there be a successful two-point conversion?
• Will there be a safety?
• Which half will have the highest point score?
• Which quarter will have the highest point score?
• Will the home team ever have the lead?
• Which team will commit the first turnover?
• Which team will use the coaches' challenge first?
• Which team will be the first to call a timeout?
• Will there be overtime?
• Which team will get the first penalty?

Then, as we inch closer to the game, we'll have plenty of player props:

• Who will have more yards between a Cardinals RB/WR like Edgerrin James and Steelers RB/WR like Willie Parker?
• Who will have more tackles between a Cardinals defender like Adrian Wilson or Steelers defender like Troy Polamalu?
• How many yards will a team's star player like Larry Fitzerald have? (Answers will be in increments: between 1-60, between 60-90, etc.)

Then, of course, there will be the wacky and fun Super Bowl prop bets as well:

• How long will the National Anthem last? (This will be an over/under, usually somewhere between 1:30-2:00. Like last year, it will be sung by another former American Idol, Jennifer Hudson.)
• How many times the announcers will say ____? (Could be the name of a player not involved in the game, for example.)
• How many times will cameras show ____? (Could again be a famous person or player not involved in the game but in attendance.)
• Will this be the highest rated Super Bowl ever? (Game will air on NBC.)
• What color will the liquid poured on the winning coach be? (Multiple Choice.)
• Who will the game MVP thank first?
• What songs will the halftime entertainer sing? (Bruce Springsteen is the halftime performer this year.)
• Will the coin toss be heads or tails?

That's it for now. Hopefully this generic list will suffice. Don't worry, though, plenty more prop bets will be coming, so stay tuned and make sure to check back to Stock Lemon for more updates on your Super Bowl 43 proposition bets for 2009.

Steelers Cover... and Advance to Super Bowl

We did it!

With help from the Steelers, we have achieved what every blog strives for--mediocrity!

With the Steelers 23-14 win over the Ravens, Pittsburgh covered the -6 spread and advanced to the Super Bowl, where they'll face those pesky Arizona Cardinals.

More importantly, the Steelers helped even our playoff record to 5-5 (or 4-4 if you don't count "the lost post"), giving our Free NFL Picks a 2-0 Championship Sunday.

A Troy Polamalu pick six secured the cover, and we love the photo posted above of him running into the end zone while three big Ravens lug behind out of focus. Fitting that there are three of them, since this is the third time this season that the Steelers have proven better than the Ravens.

Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks, as we cover the Super Bowl like never before. We invite you to make Stock Lemon your home for Super Bowl prop bets.